Complaints of Violins
by LostNovember
Summary: A current case involves someone close to Sara, and Grissom is there to help. GSR
1. Chapter 1

Title: Complaints of Violins

Author: LostNovember

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: G/S

Disclaimer: I do not own anything about CSI.

A/N – Thank you so much, **GeekLoveFreak** and **obsessed** (for a wonderful beta work), **Cincoflex** (for such a great summary), **Unspoken**, **Grissomsbutterfly**, **chromy **,** Sammie**, **Andromeda**, **ash**, **Teryl**, **Kristy**, **Napafun**, and **everyone** who encouraged me to starting writing this fic.

CHAPTER 1

It was supposed to be a normal day...

The team had been back together for a month after what had happened to Nick. Everyone was happy to have him back and that he had recovered well, both physically and emotionally. For Sara Sidle, it was like her family was back again. She found herself enjoying her life and was happier than she was before. Although her relationship with Grissom was still somewhat awkward sometimes, she admitted that they had opened up and let each other in more than ever. She had never expected to tell anyone, not even Grissom, about her unpleasent childhood. It had been her secret for years. When she did tell him, she knew he was the only one she could trust. She remembered that night so well, like it was just yesterday. The night he had held her hand, letting her pour out her heart. The touch of his hand and his being there had been such a beautiful silent comfort. She just hoped her relationship with him wouldn't crumble. Though she had been wondering whether it would move forward or fall back, she was glad he would always be there for her.

She had worked on a high-profile case for three shifts in a row, and now she was thankfully blessed they finally closed the case. Walking past Grissom's office into the breakroom, with dark circles under her eyes, she went straight to the coffee-machine and poured herself a cup. Grissom caught a glimpse of her tired form passing his doorframe and wondered _'What is she still doing here?'. _He followed her into the breakroom and saw her sitting down on the couch with a forensics journal in her hand.

"Hey." He softly said, not wanting to startle her.

Sara looked up from what she was reading. "Hey, what's up?" Then, she turned back to the journal again.

"I thought I told you to get some rest."

"You did. And I am." She said without looking up.

Grissom sighed. "That's not what I meant, Sara, and you know it."

Silence...either she didn't hear him or she just didn't want to listen.

He studied her silently for a while, then calmly said "You should go home."

Upon hearing his suggestion, she looked up suddenly. "What?"

"Go home. Get some rest." He repeated again. "You look tired."

Sara shook her head in protest. "I'm fine, Grissom." Looking at the clock on the wall, she continued "Besides, there are still three hours left until shift ends. I'm okay here." She gave him a small smile.

He knew that telling her to go home wasn't a good idea, but the last thing he needed right now was her passing out in the lab or at a crime scene. He, therefore, insisted.

"I don't want to give you an order, Sara, but you need to get some rest. It's not good for your health if you - - ."

"I told you I'm fine, Grissom." She cut him off in the middle of his sentence.

He sighed and regarded her intently. "It's a slow night. I'll give you a call if anything comes up."

She seemed to ease up a little. Actually, the idea of taking a hot shower and curling up in her warm bed were tempting her. She knew he was right about her needing rest. The last case they had been working together had drained her energy out and, for once in her restless life, she had never felt this tired before. She didn't want anyone to tell her what to do, but deep down inside, she knew he was looking after her. She took in what the man in front of her had suggested. The room grew silent; neither of them had spoken a word.

Finally, Sara broke the silence. "Promise?"

"I promise." He responded her with a warm smile on his face.

She, then, quickly finished her coffee and put down the cup into the sink while he walked to the coffee machine and poured himself a cup of coffee. He turned and saw her gathering her things up. He waited until she was ready and then they walked silently out of the breakroom into the hallway. He wanted to say something to her but was interrupted when he saw Brass coming straight forward to them in a hurry manner.

"What's going on, Brass?" Grissom was the first one to ask.

"Dispatch called. 419 in the woods outside Handerson. Meet you guys at the parking lot." The captain said and left.

Sara turned and faced Grissom, grinning sheepishly. "Looks like I'm stuck with work a bit longer, huh?"

He couldn't help but smiled at her. "Your lucky day"

She laughed a little. "I'll grab my kit." And then she walked away.

On their way to the crime scene, Sara was thinking about what it would be like to move and live in such a peaceful place like this. The idea of living in the urban area somehow attracted her. All the madness she experienced in her line of work made her want to get away for a while. Within forty-five minutes, they arrived at the scene. The flashing red and blue lights that brightened the dark sky of the city of Las Vegas and the sound of people talking aloud in the background made it seem like there was a big party. The two, kits in hands, climbed out of their Tahoe and joined Brass, who had parked his squad car in front of them. They walked right past the yellow crime scene tape which secured the crime scene so any evidence there wouldn't be contaminated, and met a local officer who was waiting for them.

"What do we know about the vic?" Brass asked the officer.

"DB. Female. Late sixties, I guess. There's no ID or anything."

The two CSIs looked down at the body on the ground. The face of the woman was brutally damaged and there was a big head wound that had caused a crack in the left side of the skull. They knew immediately that whoever did this to the woman, whose life was taken away, made sure that no one could recognise or identify her. Fixing her eyes on the horrific sight in front of her, Sara was praying for herself that what she was seeing was just an imagination, or even worse, she hoped it was an illusion caused by her exhaustion. There was something about the body that caught her attention. Something that she couldn't even explain. She intently looked closer at the eyes of the lifeless body, which were slightly fluttered open. She silently gasped when a realization hit her. Hard. She knew who it was.

She was standing in shock and barely acknowledged Grissom's presence when he finally turned and talked to her.

"We need to transport the body to the morgue. She's a Jane Doe right now. CODI - -." He was suddenly cut off by Sara's almost-inaudible sadden voice.

"Not anymore."

Gil Grissom was always right, most of the time since they had been working together. For one thing, he was wrong this time - - this wasn't her lucky day.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything about CSI.

A/N: Special thanks to **GeekLoveFreak** (for beta-reading and everything), **Unspoken** (for wonderful ideas), **Andromeda** and **Teryl** (for guidelines and advices), **obsessed**, **Kristy**, **Grissomsbutterfly**, **ash**, and **everyone** who read and reviewed this story. It means a lot to me. Thank you very much.

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**CHAPTER 2**

In Sara's mind, there were lots of questions floating around - - why was she here in Vegas? How could this happen? Who did this to her? Her head was spinning as flashes of her tragic childhood came back to haunt her. The flashes of the fights, the yelling, the fists, the stabbing and the foster families were running through her throbbing head. Here she was, standing, staring at the person she loved, who had raised her and made her become who she was. Her heart was racing and her breathing became short and ragged as she was trying to accept the reality in front of her. Although she knew by heart who the person was, she couldn't help keep asking herself the same questions again and again. Her head pondered _'Is it really her?' 'No, it can't be.'_ She closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them again, this nightmare would have gone away. But it hadn't.

Grissom stared worryingly at Sara's still form, noticing that her breathing had become shorter and quicker. He realized that she was on the verge of having a panic attack. He had known and been working with her for a long time, but he had never seen her like this. Seeing her reaction, he came to the conclusion that this dead woman wasn't just another victim to her. Not just one of the tougher cases, the ones she got emotional over. _'But how?'_ he wondered. Sara Sidle wasn't the type of person who liked to go out. Besides her friends from the lab, she didn't have many friends. Let alone this old woman. He took a look at the lifeless body on the damp ground and then turned to Sara. Seeing her blood-drained face, he pushed his thoughts aside and a look of concern covered his face. He was afraid that she was going to pass out any minute.

He reached out to her and gently touched her arm. "Sara."

She jumped a mile when the feel of his hand on hers pulled her out of her deep trance. She was aware of her surroundings again and then she felt her chest tighten. She couldn't breathe. Her mind was foggy. She felt as if she was underwater gasping for air. Hearing Grissom calling her name, Sara tried to respond, but she couldn't form a tone. She knew he was concerned about her and wanted to help, but she didn't want him to see her like this – weak and vulnerable. She had let her guard down once and had let him see her weakness when she had told him about her past. After that night, she had promised herself she would never expose herself like that again. What she wanted right now was to get out of there. Fast.

She finally found her voice and croaked out. "Get out of my way."

That came out wrong. She didn't want it to sound so cold and harsh like that, but she just wanted to get away from this haunting place as fast as she could. Without looking at him, she pulled her arm out of his grasp, made her way past him and Brass, who had seen the situation the whole time, and then ran into the darkness.

Grissom knew she needed her space and that he should leave her alone for a while, but he was worried about her. He needed to check on her how she was doing. Turning to Brass, he told him what to do with the body.

"We'll catch you later." Grissom said to the captain but his eyes were looking into the direction where Sara had left to.

Brass just nodded, understanding that the two probably needed to talk. He was also worried about Sara. She was like a daughter to him. Being concerned, he wanted to know what had happened here as much as Grissom did. He could have asked her about that but he thought Grissom was the only one whom she trusted and opened up her heart to.

"Go see her, Gil." He said to his friend and left to take care of the body as he was told.

"Thank you." Grissom nodded absently and then ran after her.

Grissom found Sara leaning against the hood of the Tahoe, trying to control her breath. He slowly approched her.

"Are you okay?" His voice was laced with worry.

"Grissom." Sara spun around and found him standing behind her. Feeling regret about what she had done earlier, she quickly apologized to him. "Grissom, I...I'm sorry I pushed you away. I didn't mean to --"

"Hey, it's okay. Don't worry about it." He interupted her before she could finish what she was trying to say, and gave her an assuring smile.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked again.

Avoiding his eyes, she looked down at the ground and responded. "I'm okay. I think I just needed some air, that's all. It's just..." Shaking her head; trying to get rid of the image of the dead body she ran away from, she continued. "I just didn't expect to see her...like this."

Although he had sensed that she somehow was connected to the victim, he still had to ask her.

"Do you know who she was?" He asked her softly.

She nodded, and for the first time since they had arrived at the scene, she looked at him. "That's my mother." Taking a deep breath, she corrected herself. "My foster mother - Anne Jensen."

His mind was blocked for a moment as he took in what she had just told him. Thinking back about the night he had held her hand, the night when she had revealed her past, he realized he was the only one who knew about it; the domestic violence, the crime, and the life after that. He might not have known everything about her time with her foster families – whether they were good or bad, but judging her action, saying 'mother' instead of 'foster mother,' he assumed that they must have been really close. He looked deeply into her eyes and all he could see were the saddest eyes he had ever seen, which were now flooded with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Sara." All his sorrow and compassion for her were lying in these few words.

She remained silent as she felt the moisture in her eyes growing more and more. Turning her face away from him, she stared at nothing but empty spaces. The sun started to come out from its hiding place, shining a slight ray of light into the morning sky. The scenery looked so beautiful, but not to Sara – since it was now painted with pain and sorrow...and memories. The two CSIs were drawn into their own thoughts – neither of them had said anything until...

"I don't know what to do, Grissom..." Came her cracked voice. She turned around to see him watching her, and their eyes met. "I don't know if I can deal with it...I don't..."

Grissom's heart broke as he watched her trying to hold back the tears and emotions that tried to break free. He didn't care if someone would walk in on them and see what he was about to do. All he wanted to do right now was to comfort her. To tell her that everything was going to be okay. Suddenly he stepped closer and put his arms around her.

Holding her tightly, he whispered. "I won't let you go through this alone, Sara. You can count on me for that."

And that was it. She couldn't hold it anymore. The walls she had built to save herself from more pain, crumbled down. Tears streamed down her face when she finally broke down in his warm embrace.

TBC

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A/N - Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing. I hope I didn't disappoint anyone. 


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